This image has come up on my Facebook feed a few times over the years. I bought into it HARD for a long time. I struggle with it, still! Since I teach and have summers off, I do tend to plan something fun for every available day I can. I am a FUN-SEEKER. I am also a kid-lover. My kids lie high on my priority list, but hear me out, maybe too high some days.
Almost to the point of letting everything else fall to the wayside, I delight in my kids. June is usually the most accelerated, fast-paced month for us. It’s like I have been granted freedom and I don’t know how to behave!
That’s not a crime, I know. Other working moms would love the chance to fun-seek and love on their children every day of their summer break. But, it’s tiring. It’s too much when I look around and feel drowned in the home responsibilities, as well. (Also, not top priority. 😜)
My laundry room, my bedroom, the garage—— okay, like every room— has a mess. More accurately, an explosion of sorts can be found in multiple spots. Our kids have a way of working on Legos, Kinetic sand, Barbies, and watercolor in a span of 3 hours— all on the dining room table!
More notable than the house, it’s when I start to feel depleted mentally, physically, and spiritually, that I know I need to reel back and lean into God, and recalibrate the priorities of this life. When I am too tired in the morning to wake and do my devotions or pray for those on my list, some adjustments are necessary.
Mamas, it’s a lie to believe that our time with the kids at home must be made to be exciting or memorable 24 hours a day. Read it again.
Isn’t that wonderful? Isn’t that freedom?
I just read another blog post about doing the dishes, and forgetting the guilt…. the author wrote, “Work must be done. We can’t live in disarray. Or, at least, my personality struggles there. And it, again, is teaching our kids the value of order, chores, responsibility and stewardship when we take care of things around us.” She is so spot-on! Her words resonated with me. I don’t have to pay attention to my kids every waking hour, other jobs have to be taken care of, which allows me to teach by example.
And if my kids have a slew of fun memories of a pool, play dates, a theme park, and campfires, that is super… but in my book, it’s not everything.
The search for fun is not what the 18-year timeline is about.
What matters to me is that they walk out of the house and into the world knowing a mom and dad who instilled faith in Jesus and demonstrated love to others consistently. I would love mine to remember their mom getting into God’s word and making THAT time a priority over anything else before the day began.
I would also have to assume that social media does us NO favors as moms in this topic. You see all of your mom friends and acquaintances going here and there, and feel that your highlight reel should be just as adventurous.
Really, the notion that you have your kids for 18 years may be true, but for their 19th, or 25th, or 40th year, they are still your kids...
Lord willing, you will have more memories to make in the many years beyond. The pressure to believe that you must accomplish memory-making daily is false. I certainly don’t remember every fun moment of my childhood, and there were plenty.
So yes, relish the years.
But for me, I have to make the main the MAIN thing….. “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. And all of these things shall be added unto you.” Matthew 6:33
The June party train is slowing to a halt, and I can crave more of what matters in this life. I am so grateful to grandparents who have sleepovers and camping trips so that the kids make their memories elsewhere! Mom, a.k.a “the fun-factory”, does not resign, I just need to reevaluate our schedules and my well-being! The turn of the July calendar brings vacation for us, but I hope for more balance in this thing called motherhood.
Can I get an ‘Amen’?!!!
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